Sheriff's Office: Suspect in reported sexual assault at Clemson fraternity not a student

Federal authorities are increasing their investigations of sexual assaults on campuses in Indiana and across the country. That's a good thing, because one in five women and one in 16 men have reported being sexually assaulted while in college.
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The Oconee County Sheriff's Office responded to a report of a sexual assault at the Delta Chi fraternity house, 205 D Morris Way in Seneca, in the early hours of Saturday, Jan. 27, 2018.(Photo: Georgie Silvarole/Independent Mail)

The Oconee County Sheriff's Office confirmed Tuesday the suspect in a reported sexual assault at a Clemson University fraternity house is not a Clemson student.

The incident is still under investigation, and no arrests have been reported. All Clemson fraternity social events are on pause due to the active case.

The Clemson University Police Department notified the Oconee County Sheriff's Office around 12:30 a.m. Saturday about a reported sexual assault at the Delta Chi fraternity house on D Morris Way in Seneca, said Jimmy Watt, public information officer for the Sheriff's Office.

A deputy arrived early Saturday and spoke with the victim at Delta Chi, which is roughly 5 miles away from Clemson's campus.

Watt declined to disclose any specifics about the investigation and would not say whether or not the suspect is a student at Clemson on Monday.

On Tuesday, the Sheriff's Office confirmed the suspect was not a student, but declined to release further details.

"We have released all that we plan to release at this time," Watt said. "From what I know and have seen, I don’t think there is any threat to the public at this time."

Clemson's Interfraternity Council President Landon Flowers said in a statement Sunday the council's executive board met to discuss the alleged assault and is committed to "holding our members to a higher standard."

"Therefore, we are suspending all social activities at fraternity houses effective immediately," Flowers said. "This suspension will be effective until necessary measures are taken."

#BREAKING: The Clemson University Interfraternity Council (IFC) has suspended all social events at fraternity houses, effective immediately. See full statement released by the IFC below: pic.twitter.com/AmXNZttbYB

The Interfraternity Council is a self-governing, student-run entity and doesn't need university approval to take action like this, Flowers said. He said he didn't recall the IFC ever putting a hold on fraternity parties, either.

The seven-member executive board met around 10 a.m. Sunday to discuss how to handle the incident, Flowers said. No one objected to suspending all fraternity activities while the police continue the investigation, he said.

"We felt, at the time, it was necessary to take action," Flowers said Monday in an interview. "We were all in agreeance — it wasn’t hard to persuade anybody."

The Oconee County Sheriff's Office responded to a report of a sexual assault at the Delta Chi fraternity house, 205 D Morris Way in Seneca, in the early hours of Saturday, Jan. 27, 2018.(Photo: Georgie Silvarole/Independent Mail)

Fraternity members at Clemson attend seminars each semester to talk about sexual assault and consent, Flowers said.

"I wouldn’t say it’s a huge issue at Clemson, but it's an issue throughout the United States," Flowers said. "It's something we definitely talk about and it’s a necessary thing to talk about."

Clemson encourages victims of sexual assault to utilize the university's resources and feel confident in reporting sexual violence, said Mark Land, vice president of university relations.

"I can't say this strongly enough — there is nothing more important than the safety of our students," Land said. "They will get the kind of support that they need from the university. ... We're going to be there to help them through this."